ITHACA ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS SPLASHED SOLDIER WITH BLOOD

Federal Review ^ | Wednesday, September 21, 2005

[Behind Liberal Lines]

BINGHAMTON, NY—A U.S. soldier has testified in federal court Tuesday (September 20) that he was splashed with human blood by anti-war protesters during a 2003 protest.

The soldier, Staff Sgt. Rachon Montgomery, was working as an army recruiter on March 17, 2003, the day that four protesters threw their own blood around a recruiting center in Lansing, NY, a suburb of Ithaca. As a result of the incident, press reports indicate, Montgomery was tested for blood-borne illnesses such as HIV and hepatitis.

In addition to Montgomery, the protesters also poured blood on the American flag, a military banner and the walls and floor of the center.

The protesters, Clare Grady, Teresa Grady, Peter De Mott and Daniel Burns, all of Ithaca, are currently on trial in Federal Court in Binghamton on charges of conspiring to impede the duties of U.S. officials and damaging or injuring federal property and officials. The conspiracy charge, the most serious, carries up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The protesters, who have dubbed themselves “the St. Patrick’s’ Day Four,” while admitting to their actions, claim they have done nothing wrong. The four, who are representing themselves, claim that their actions were legally justified because they did it to stop the United States from invading Iraq.

That defense was accepted in an earlier state court trial in Ithaca, which resulted in a hung jury.

However, according to the New York Times, District Court Judge Thomas McAvoy “is allowing the defendants to talk about their state of mind at the time of the protest in their opening arguments, but not to raise their belief that the Iraq war was illegal or immoral.”

The group’s supporters, many of whom are from the Ithaca, have conducted a daily vigil outside the courthouse, protesting, making speeches and conducting mock trials of the Bush administration.

In response, a counter protest , made up of veterans and others from around the state, has demonstrated their solidarity with the troops and the President.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Update: Protester Cited for Contempt:

A judge held a protester now on trial in contempt of court after he refused to say who drew the blood that was...poured in a Lansing recruiting center on March 17, 2003. Peter De Mott, 58, declined to say how the blood was obtained or who drew the blood while he was being cross-examined ...Judge Thomas J. McAvoy said De Mott would be found in contempt if he didn't answer the question. “I am so found,” De Mott replied...McAvoy said he'd decide on De Mott's penalty, which could include a fine and possible jail time, at a later time.

“They are good people,” Burns said about Sgt. Rachon Montgomery, an Army recruiter who worked in Lansing at the time of the St. Patrick's Day protest and who testified about the incident Tuesday. “(Montgomery) doesn't understand exactly what's going on.”

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

I think the guy with the painted face definately took the brown acid at Woodstock.

[ArrogantBustard]

a bunch of kids who were WAY too young to remember the end of the Vietnam War, and thought we were really cool.

That's a "normal" attitude on the part of kids. It speaks well not only of them, but their parents as well.

Tip o' the hat to both of you.

[ArrogantBustard]

What's with the little pink wristbands? ID bracelets from the looney-bin?

[Sensei Ern]

In a counter protest can we throw their blood too? If that were the case, I am pretty sure we could get enough FReepers there to make those hippies anemic.

[Chode]

Lansing is an Evil-WannaBe, Evil for Beginners, Evil-Lite, Mini-Evil, Diet-Evil, Just One Calorie-Evil... and will Never, EVER, be,

the Peoples DemocRATic Republic of Ithaca EVIL!!!

[freema]

Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo is this? Cindy's nephews?

[freema]

These folks don't sound much different from the good Rev. Phelps.

Do recruiters sent to this assignment now get combat pay?
Not a serious question, I just had to ask..

[Old Student]

"These old eyes are welling up and about to burst worst then the levees in New Orleans."

I can certainly understand that. Took me a while to calm down then, and it still gets me, every now and then. America is by no stretch of the imagination perfect, but it is the best country in the world, bar none!

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Update:Police keep watch as Iraq war protest case goes to jury

[Mr. Silverback]

The protesters, who have dubbed themselves “the St. Patrick’s’ Day Four,” while admitting to their actions, claim they have done nothing wrong. The four, who are representing themselves

Oh goody! they won't get a hung jury a second time, even in the city of evil.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

We both thought we'd never see times like those again either. We thought America woke up and realized all the damage and hurt it had caused and would never allow history to repeat itself. We even thought America was "ashamed" for the way they treated the Vietnam Vet! (Thank you for your service and welcome home brother.)

We've sworn we wouldn't allow it to happen to troops following in our footsteps. If it starts to happen, (and it appears it is) there better be an uprising from every Vietnam vet who endured it in the past, and every person who knows of it and agreed it was wrong). Ithaca needs to be watched closely and all other incidents like it and visibly condemned.

We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in arms who are putting themselves in harms way for all of us. We can't let history repeat itself. If this troop can't get the law to stand on his side, then maybe the Vets in that area need to TAKE A STAND... or are they just going to roll over on their backs and let this kind of thing happen all over again?

I can promise you, if it happens in the Sacramento area, we'll be there in force. In this house we've given enough in health and family and friends during Nam. We're proud of our service as should be our troops serving today be. We're so proud of them and pray for them every day.

God Bless them!

We won't suffer or tolerate fools who would damage or deface Government property (which is what they did when they did this to him). They should spend time behind bars. Better yet... they should be sent to Iraq to try to talk "peace" to insurgents in Iraq! Perhaps that would be an even better solution.

[Mr. Buzzcut]

What makes it worse is that undoubtedly at least one of these flakes has a blood borne STD ...

[Mr. Buzzcut]

They should spend time behind bars. Better yet... they should be sent to Iraq to try to talk "peace" to insurgents in Iraq! Perhaps that would be an even better solution.

It's more likely they'd side with the Jihadists and don dynamite vests ...

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the update.